Showing results by publisher "Audible Sessions" in Arts & Entertainment

Some difficult times through his childhood in South Africa did nothing to diminish Johannes Radebe's shine. Radebe has now penned his first memoir, Jojo: Finally Home, which documents some of the difficulties he faced growing up and how he got through it. We'll be talking to him about the support and care he got from the women in his life, the way homophobia has affected him, and his passion for dance and the solace it has provided. And of course, we’ll be talking about Strictly.

Having spent 2011-2022 as a part of Little Mix, one of the most popular girl bands in the world, Pinnock is no stranger to fame. She went from working at a Pizza Hut to becoming an overnight sensation after winning The X Factor with bandmates Perrie Edwards, Jade Thirlwall and Jesy Nelson. During their time touring the world, however, Pinnock was never completely happy – she struggled to find her identity while encountering racism in the music industry. Now, having gone solo, starred in a movie and even narrated The Little Mermaid for Audible, Pinnock has found herself, and her power.

Joining us for a chat is the people's poet laureate, the punk performance poet, John Cooper Clarke, who is releasing his memoir I Wanna Be Yours. Clarke, born in Salford, is well known for his classic look of drainpipe jeans, wild black hair and sunglasses, whatever the weather, something which hasn't changed since the 1970s. Being inspired and encouraged by an English teacher at school, Clarke decided that he would make a living from poetry. He performed with many hugely successful bands, such as The Sex Pistols, Joy Division and New Order.

Joining us at Audible Studios is award winning actress and national treasure, Miriam Margolyes. Though she might be remembered for her occasional profanity on air, or crude outburst, Miriam is also loved for her theatrical skill. We'll be asking Miriam Margolyes about her new book, and second memoir, Oh Miriam! We will find out what her most important life lessons are, what she thinks of being called a national treasure, and things will get a little lewd as we discuss how she loves to see people’s reactions.

Giedroyc grew up in Leatherhead and attended Trinity College, Cambridge, becoming a member of the Footlights comedy club. Starting her career alongside Sue Perkins, the duo became the household names of Mel and Sue, known for their baking puns as presenters of The Great British Bake Off, following their stint presenting Light Lunch. 

Rising to fame as a pop star as part of The Communards, Richard Coles has had a very varied career - he has worked as a vicar for several parishes after finding religion later in life, has appeared on many panel shows. He shared his life through his memoirs, including details of his civil partnership and grief following the death of his partner. Coles has begun writing fiction – the Canon Clement Mystery series – starting with Murder Before Evensong, and is with us to talk about the second in the series, A Death in the Parish.

Karen Yates has been a journalist for over ten years; she writes regularly on immigration, politics, housing and culture and has written for publications including The Guardian, The Independent and VICE. Yates has been nominated for accolades such as Culture Writer of the Year, and has contributed to award-winning titles such as The Good Immigrant. We'll be chatting to Kieran Yates about her first solo book, All the Houses I've Ever Lived In, finding out what home means to her, how Britain's housing crisis came about, and how we can fight against it.

Joining us at Audible Studios is performance artist, writer and theatre maker, Travis Alabanza. Following the incredible success of their award-winning debut work, Burgerz, Alabanza has continued to create performance and discourse about trans and black identities. Their theatre show Overflow, which premiered at The Bush theatre, was shortlisted for the George Devine Award, and has been met with critical acclaim. Their writing appears in The Guardian and Vice, and has been published in anthologies such as Black and Gay in the UK.

Blue is a Ghanaian Londoner, currently residing in Essex, with a past working in therapy. Her first publication, Psychotherapy, is a collection of poetry exploring the conscious, subconscious and unconscious processes of an ex-therapist trying to leave that world behind. Bad Love, Blue’s novel debut, focuses on Ekuah’s experiences of love, success and the difficult navigation of choices between the two. We chatted to Maame Blue about writing Bad Love, her inclusion in the #TwentyIn2020 initiative and finding her voice as a writer.   

Joining us from home is post-doctoral research scientist Dr Tim Gregory, whose book Meteorite brings us not just the story of our planet, but the origins of the solar system in a comprehensible form. Dr Tim Gregory grew up in Yorkshire and has always had a fascination with science, mainly space and rocks.